You’ve set aside the budget and signed the contracts, but did you remember to budget enough time for your people to contribute? The first few months of a CMS project require dedicated time from everyone involved. This phase is called project discovery.

Your people probably already have a full plate. Unless they are already highly invested in the project's outcome, they won’t be keen to carve out valuable time to contribute. Before the project starts, set proper expectations and give your people some space to breathe so they can temporarily shift their priorities. What you don’t want is your agency partner trying to schedule meetings with stakeholders that have no availability, causing frustration and delays.

Takeaway: Set the expectations and give your people plenty of time to participate in the project, especially the months following project kickoff.